QUALITY OF LIFE OF ELDERLY WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES

Abstract

The aim of the study was to examine the degree of quality of life, as a whole and in domains, of elderly persons in the Republic of Croatia who are suffering from type 2 diabetes and those who do not have it. The study included 120 participants who according to chronological age belong to a group of elderly people. Participants were divided into two groups. The study group included 60 elderly patients with type 2 diabetes, and the control group had 60 elderly non-diabetic subjects. The WHOQOL-bref (The World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-bref) questionnaire was used in the study. In line with the set objectives, this study has found that the perceived quality of life of the elderly does not differ from values that can be found in the healthy population. The quality of life of this population is most influenced by the sense of belonging to the environment. Elderly people are least satisfied with their social relationships. The group of people without diabetes achieved better results in terms of quality of life satisfaction and health satisfaction compared to people with type 2 diabetes. The group with type 2 diabetes is considerably more dissatisfied with their health status compared to the examined group of non-diabetic subjects. Results obtained in this research suggest that strategies to increase the quality of life of older age people with type II diabetes should focus on these investigated domains.